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I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself
The White Stripes Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I just don't know what to do with myself
I don't know what to do with myself
Planning everything for two
Doing everything with you
And now that we're through
I just don't know what to do

I just don't know what to do with myself
I don't know what to do with myself
Movies only make me sad
Parties make me feel as bad
'Cause I'm not with you
I just don't know what to do

Like a summer rose
Needs the sun and rain
I need your sweet love
To beat love away

Well I don't know what to do with myself
Just don't know what to do with myself
Planning everything for two
Doing everything with you
And now that we're through
I just don't know what to do

Like a summer rose
Needs the sun and rain
I need your sweet love
To beat love away

I just don't know what to do with myself
Just don't know what to do with myself
Just don't know what to do with myself
I don't know what to do with myself

Overall Meaning

The White Stripes's song "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" is a song about being lost without a loved one. The lyrics express the singer's confusion and disorientation after a relationship ends. The first two lines of the song, "I just don't know what to do with myself, I don't know what to do with myself", are repeated throughout and highlight the central theme of the song. The singer is unable to move on and find happiness without their former partner.


The lyrics mention how the singer used to plan everything for two and do everything with their partner. Now that they are alone, they don't know how to move forward. The singer finds no happiness in movies or parties because they are not with their ex-partner. The comparison of the singer's need for their partner to a summer rose that needs sunlight and rain to survive reinforces how important their partner was to their life.


The use of repetition in the song emphasizes the sense of helplessness and confusion that the singer feels. The repeated lines serve as a constant reminder of the singer's lost love and the uncertainty that comes with life after a relationship. This song is a timeless classic as it effectively conveys the emotions of heartbreak and the ensuing confusion.


Line by Line Meaning

I just don't know what to do with myself
The singer is feeling lost and unsure of what to do after a breakup.


I don't know what to do with myself
The singer is emphasizing that they truly have no idea how to occupy themselves now that they are single.


Planning everything for two
Prior to the breakup, the singer was used to planning their life around their partner.


Doing everything with you
The singer was deeply invested in the relationship and spent a lot of time with their partner.


And now that we're through
The relationship has ended, which has left the singer feeling lost.


Movies only make me sad
Reminders of the past relationship only serve to upset the singer.


Parties make me feel as bad
Being in social situations without their ex-partner causes the singer to feel just as down.


'Cause I'm not with you
The reason for the singer's unhappiness is explicitly stated - they miss their ex-partner.


Like a summer rose
The singer uses a simile to describe how they feel.


Needs the sun and rain
A rose needs specific conditions to thrive; the singer needs the love of their ex-partner to feel fulfilled.


I need your sweet love
The singer is professing their love and desire for their ex-partner.


To beat love away
This line is a bit ambiguous but suggests that the singer's love for their ex is so strong that it overshadows other potential relationships or experiences.


Just don't know what to do with myself
The repetition of this line drives home the singer's sense of confusion and frustration.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, O/B/O DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Hal David, Burt F. Bacharach

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@jeffstephens5266

White Stripes and Kate Moss together, how can anybody beat that

@santinasayz9337

@Jeff Stephens 💯💯💯💯👍👍🔥🔥👍👍😎

I guess you might see that I totally agree with you 👍 ✌️

@marcoshenriquegabrie

First time I listened to this song I was crying my heart out because I had been dumped by the love of my life. Fifteen years on, it sounds like good old memories. The music is still great!

@rafaelramirez2269

Ditto

@magnogarmendiarosas

yes bro, i want to say something about this song and is tha... WHEN I LISTED TO THIS SONG FOR A FIRST TIME I DIDN"T KNOW ABOUT WHAT IT WAS TO FALL IN LOVE ... BUT THEN LIKE A 10 YEARS BEFORE I MET THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!!! WE WERE TOGHEATER FOR 3 YEARS AND SHE LEFT ME BECAUSE I WAS ON A DEEP DEPRESSION AND ALCOHOL!! NOW IM FEEL BAD I CANT FORGET HER

@matheusihancis512

br representando

@phildemetriou440

Listen to the Dusty Springfield version, it has more raw emotion.

@marcoshenriquegabrie

@@phildemetriou440 I’ll check it out. Thanks!

4 More Replies...

@tntbsyht

It won’t ever happen, but I’d love to wake up one morning to a new White Stripes song. What a surprise that would be! We need good ole rock n roll back!

@star_dust007

It's here you're just not looking hard enough listen to wet leg listen to squid listen to spiritualized listen to black lips. I'm not gonna deny that music has gotten much more corporatizwd with th3 coming decades but I think "good Ole rock and roll" is here you just have to look harder. Sorry if it seems like I'm overreacting I just get a bad feeling when people are like new music sucks or whatever becuase it doesn't pop music maybe music no

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